My Journey as a Statistician

Lindsey Dietz, PhD

2024-10-04

Disclaimer

The views expressed in this presentation are strictly my own. They do not necessarily represent the position of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis or the Federal Reserve System.

I grew up in Elk River, MN.

I attended college at UMD. Go Bulldogs!

I pursued my PhD in Statistics at UMN - Twin Cities.

Where am I today?

My Work at the Federal Reserve (2016 - )

  • Began as a Quantitative Validator in 2016
  • Promoted to a Senior Quantitative Analyst in 2019
  • Promoted to Financial Economist and Implementation Lead in 2020
  • Promoted to Data Science Manager and Stress Testing Production Lead in 2022

What is Stress Testing?

How does my team contribute?

  • Develops and maintains code and databases used to execute testing
  • Builds interactive analytical dashboards to share results
  • Responds to data summary and ad hoc analysis requests
  • Executes and controls outputs used for publication

Key skills for Data Science roles

  • Techniques - Do you have broad technical knowledge? Can you learn a new method, understand its value, and implement it?

  • Translation - Do you know enough about a research problem and data to propose an appropriate solution?

  • Communication - Can you provide a simple explanation for a complex technique? Can you explain the value add, limitations, and impacts of your analyses to a non-technical audience?

  • Programming - Are you an expert in at least one or more programming language? Are you continuously developing this skill?

  • Time and Project Management - Can you work on several projects at once and meet your deadlines?

Transitioning to Leadership

Some changes I’ve experienced going from an independent contributor to a leader/manager:

  • You are directly dependent on others to meet your goals
  • You are responsible for the work of others
  • Buy-in of colleagues and staff is essential
  • Prioritization is important to gaining buy-in
  • Decisions have to be made without full information
  • You need to use your “political capital” wisely

QUESTIONS?